Device for stabilizing a violin



Sept. 8, 1959 E. SOKOLIK DEVICE FORLSTABILIZING A VIOLIN Filed Dec. 2, 1957 INVEN TOR.

BY EDWARD SOKOLIK United States Patent DEVICE FOR STABILIZING A VIOLIN Edward Sokolik, New Brighton, Minn.

Application December 2, 1957, Serial No. 700,094

2 Claims. (Cl. 84280) My present invention relates to improvements in devices for stabilizing a violin during performance thereupon and the primary object is to provide a suitable device adapted to obviate the continuous tendency of the violin during performance to shift from the neck as it is [held by and between the chin and the collar-bone. It is very dilficult and tedious under the present state of the art to maintain the violin firmly against the neck, so essential in the exactitude of performance;

A further object of the invention is to promote comfort to the chin of the performer as the maintainance of stability of the violin is accomplished by the cooperation of the chin and the neck upon the chin-rest and upon the device in combination with the chin-rest respectively;

Other objects and advantages will be apparent as the description progresses.

Fig. 1 illustrates a schematic view of the device mounted on the violin;

Fig. 2 illustrates an elevational view on line 2-2 Fig. 1, of the downwardly projected support arm of the chinrest as disposed on a violin shown in section.

Fig. 3 illustrates an elevational view on line 3-3, Fig. 1 of the neck band of the device showing, in section, the support end-portion or coupling slide thereof as engaged in the socket of the arm of the chin-rest; and

Fig. 4 illustrates a plan view with parts in cross-section of a modified form of attachment.

Invention resides in providing a device in the form of a neck band 5, adapted to hug the neck of the violin performer. This neck band 5 may be made of any suitable material, preferably resilient material in band form for better functions, such as plastic or spring steel.

Invention further resides in adapting this neck band 5 and the chin-rest 6 for quick attachment to and quick detachment from each other.

The mode of attachment may be lateral or upright. The lateral is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and the upright in Fig. 4.

In either mode, the chin-rest 6 is attached by means 7 to the violin 8 in the same manner, but in the lateral mode, the neck band 5 is provided with a coupling slide 9 and the chin-rest 6 with a laterally disposed coupling socket 10 formed in the arm 11, projected downwardly from the chin-rest 6 along the rear end of the violin 8.

In the upright mode, the interlocking end-portion 12 of the neck band 5 is provided with a downright coupling socket 13, which is made preferably by looping the endportion 12 upon itself, and the arm 14 is shaped into a coupling slide to slide downwardly into the coupling socket 13 of the end position 12 thereby facilitating the manner of coupling and the coupling function thereof itself.

In either mode, the coupling sockets 10 and 13 could be even formed in bore form and the arms 11 and 14 shaped into the form of a laterally or downwardly disposed pintle respectively. Pintled interlocking means would permit of vertical or horizontal swinging of the ice violin 8. A universal-joint interlocking means would permit of universal swinging of the violin 8.

In either mode of attachment, the end-portions 9 and 12 are preferably slanted downwardly to the right to tilt the violin to the right to facilitate fingering and bowing.

A pawl spring 15 secured by screws 16 preferably at the bottom of the arm 11 releasably holds the neck band 5 and the chin-rest 6 together. This is generally accomplished by a kink in the pawl spring 15 projecting through a slot in the arm 11 and engaging the end-portion 9. Substantially this same manner of holding may be resorted to in the upright mode of attachment.

It will be noted that the neck band 5 when made of resilient material has the advantages of yielding in its application to the neck encircling substantially a hemicircular arc of the neck; it also has the dual function of continuously and simultaneously pulling and holding the violin 8 against the neck in constant stability to facilitate vibrato fingering. The end-portions 17 and 18 of the said neck band 5 afford resistance bases to counteract the upwardly and downwardly shifting of the violin. The slide arm 9 being a reverse portion of the endportion 18 is, in effect, a lever with the fulcrum at the elbow 19, thereby effecting a leverlike function on the entire neck band 5. The advantages of this form of slide and socket coupling arranged at right angle to the longitudinal axis of the violin are: that this mode of coupling a neck band and a violin is propitious; that the violin itself does not engage the neck as a resistance base, yet is close to the neck with no impediments therebetween; that shifting of the violin up and down in vibrato playing is mostly eliminated; that the device is simple and practicable and detached, may even be put away with the violin in the same case.

This invention lends itself to various changes in construction and arrangement of parts within its spirit and scope and the claims are intended to include such modifications.

What is claimed is this:

1. A device of the character described for stabilizing a violin comprising in combination, a neck-band adapted partially to encircle the neck of the violinist, and a chinrest secured to the violin, said neck-band having an endportion reversed at an angle and adapted to afford a complementary coupling slide, and said chin-rest having a rigid member depending from the chin-rest at its posterior edge, and said member having an upright inner edge and a complementary coupling socket formed therein and ex tending from said inner edge in parallel relationship with the transverse axis of the violin, said slide and socket being adapted to be telescopically coupled in said relationship and being adapted to maintain the coupling of said neck-band and said chin-rest by a transverse mode of engagement of said slide and said socket.

2. A device of the character described comprising in combination, a neck-band adapted partially to encircle the neck of the violinist, and a chin-rest secured to the violin, said neck-band and said chin-rest being provided with a complementary coupling slide and a rigid member having a socket formed therein, said slide and said socket being adapted to be telescopically coupled in parallel relationship to the transverse axis of the violin, and adapted to maintain the coupling of said neck-band and said chin-rest by a transverse mode of engagement of said slide and said socket with each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 491,372 Nurberti Feb. 7, 1893 1,315,015 Doyle Sept. 2, 1919 2,061,464 Heimers Nov. 17, 1936 

